Hei Cheng and Xue Song Zi had left.
Their auras faded into the distance, swallowed by the snowstorm. The absolute ice battlefield slowly returned to silence, but no one relaxed immediately.
Fang Yuan's remaining strength path phantoms still guarded the outer area.
Fairy Li Shan stood near Hei Lou Lan, her face pale from maintaining Pear Orchard and fighting Hei Cheng. Tai Bai Yun Sheng remained alert, ready to use Man as Before if anything unexpected happened. Fang Ming stood slightly closer to the three qi cocoon, his gaze moving between the distant sky and the pulsing aura inside the cocoon.
They had won.
But Hei Lou Lan's ascension was not fully finished.
Forcing Hei Cheng to retreat did not mean the danger was entirely gone. Until Hei Lou Lan completed the final step, no one could say the ascension had succeeded.
Inside the three qi cocoon, Hei Lou Lan's aura grew increasingly stable.
The cocoon shrank little by little. Heaven qi, earth qi, and human qi fused into her body, washing away mortal impurities and remolding her foundation. The hidden tracking method Hei Cheng had left behind was most likely erased during this transformation, but no one dared to rely on "most likely."
A long while passed.
Finally, the cocoon shattered.
Hei Lou Lan stepped out.
She stood barefoot on the ice, black hair moving in the wind, her aura completely different from before. She was still Hei Lou Lan, but the mortal heaviness had vanished. Around her body lingered the newly born pressure of a Gu Immortal.
Her eyes had recovered.
The injuries caused by Divert Disaster Gu were gone, washed clean by the three qi transformation. Only a faint trace of depth remained in her gaze, like a reminder of the price she had been willing to pay.
Fairy Li Shan's eyes reddened.
"Little Lan…"
Hei Lou Lan looked at her and nodded. "Little aunt, I succeeded."
Those words made Fairy Li Shan's expression tremble.
For years, she had watched Hei Lou Lan walk toward this moment. Great Strength True Martial Physique was both talent and death sentence. If Hei Lou Lan had failed, nothing would have remained.
But she had succeeded.
She had crossed the boundary between mortal and immortal.
Hei Lou Lan closed her eyes briefly, sensing the immortal aperture inside her body.
After a moment, she opened them.
"Super grade blessed land."
Tai Bai Yun Sheng let out a breath in amazement.
Fang Yuan's eyes flickered.
Fang Ming's expression remained calm.
As expected.
A successful ten extreme physique immortal ascension naturally produced a super grade blessed land. Its territory, time flow, and immortal essence foundation far surpassed ordinary blessed lands. This was the reward for surviving a risk most people could not even imagine.
Hei Lou Lan continued, "The final step is also complete. My Gu refinement succeeded."
Fairy Li Shan finally smiled.
The success of the third step meant Hei Lou Lan's ascension was now truly complete.
Fang Ming looked at Hei Lou Lan silently.
His investment had survived.
The risk had been worth it.
Hei Lou Lan turned toward him.
She raised her hand, and an Immortal Gu appeared.
Steel Body Strength Immortal Gu.
The Gu's aura was stable. It had survived the ascension.
Hei Lou Lan walked to Fang Ming and handed it back with both hands.
"Fang Ming, this Gu helped me greatly. I will remember this favor."
Fang Ming accepted Steel Body Strength Gu.
His expression did not change much, but inwardly, he relaxed slightly.
This Immortal Gu was valuable. Lending it had been a calculated risk. If it had been destroyed during the ascension, he would have accepted it as part of the cost, but naturally, recovering it was best.
"You succeeded," Fang Ming said. "That is enough."
Hei Lou Lan looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
The relationship between them had changed.
Before, Fang Ming had been an investor and supporter.
Now, Hei Lou Lan was a strength path Gu Immortal with super grade blessed land. She was no longer merely a future possibility. She was a real ally.
But her gaze soon turned toward the direction Hei Cheng had retreated.
The hatred in her eyes did not weaken because of ascension.
If anything, it became colder.
"He is still alive."
No one needed to ask who she meant.
Hei Cheng.
Fang Yuan said plainly, "Forcing a Gu Immortal to retreat and killing a Gu Immortal are two different matters."
Tai Bai Yun Sheng nodded. "Hei Cheng is still Rank 7."
Fairy Li Shan's expression became solemn again. "He still has Dark Prison. Instant Pause. Dark Arrow. And perhaps other Hei tribe methods we have not seen."
Fang Ming added, "We won because the battlefield favored us, and because his main objective failed. Chasing him would have been reckless."
Hei Lou Lan did not refute this.
She hated Hei Cheng deeply, but she was not foolish.
She had just become a Gu Immortal. Her foundation had not stabilized. Fairy Li Shan was exhausted. Fang Yuan and Fang Ming had both fought through tribulation and battle. Tai Bai Yun Sheng was support, not a main attacker.
They could defeat Hei Cheng in that situation.
Killing him was another matter.
Hei Lou Lan clenched her fists.
"Then I will wait."
Her voice was calm, but the killing intent beneath it had not faded at all.
Fang Yuan smiled slightly. "That is the right choice."
After the battlefield was confirmed safe, the group began settling matters.
Fairy Li Shan looked at Fang Yuan. "According to our agreement, you should be compensated for your expenditure."
Fang Yuan did not refuse.
Allies could speak of friendship, but accounts still had to be clear. He had spent immortal essence, used Fixed Immortal Travel, and fought through tribulation and Gu Immortal battle. Compensation was natural.
Fairy Li Shan handed him the agreed resources and immortal essence stones. The exact amount had already been discussed before; there was no need for long argument here.
Fang Yuan accepted them calmly.
Then Fairy Li Shan turned toward Fang Ming.
"Friend Feng, regarding the food beast buyers you asked about…"
Fang Ming raised a hand slightly. "There is no rush."
Fairy Li Shan paused.
Fang Ming continued, "Hei Lou Lan's ascension came first. You have not had time to contact anyone."
Fairy Li Shan nodded. "After we return and stabilize matters, I will begin asking my reliable acquaintances. A stable Red Junglefowl supply at ten percent below treasure yellow heaven price should interest some people, but I need time to choose suitable buyers."
"That is enough," Fang Ming said.
The fifth formation's output still had no stable buyer, but Fang Ming had not expected Fairy Li Shan to solve it instantly. A good channel required patience.
The wind grew calmer.
Fairy Li Shan then said, "There is another matter that may interest you."
Fang Yuan looked over.
Fang Ming also turned his gaze slightly.
Fairy Li Shan said, "Dong Fang Chang Fan died some months ago, but his wisdom path inheritance remains. It is said he left it to Dong Fang Yu Liang. Many demonic path Gu Immortals are already moving secretly."
Fang Yuan's gaze sharpened.
Wisdom path inheritance.
This was valuable.
Complete wisdom path inheritances were not easy to find. Gu worms could be bought, but path inheritance was another matter entirely. Dong Fang Chang Fan had been Northern Plains' number one wisdom path Gu Immortal. His inheritance naturally attracted wolves.
Fang Ming listened quietly.
He knew this matter.
More than that, he knew what would happen around it.
Dong Fang Chang Fan's inheritance was not a simple treasure waiting to be taken. The event involved schemes, possession, righteous path pressure, demonic path greed, and many Gu Immortals moving under hidden motives.
To others, it was a dangerous opportunity.
To Fang Ming, it was a future board whose pieces he already knew.
But he did not reveal anything.
He only said, "Wisdom path inheritance is naturally worth attention."
Fairy Li Shan glanced at him. "If you are interested, I can provide information when the time comes."
"Good."
Fang Yuan did not immediately agree either, but his interest was obvious.
Fang Ming noticed this and said nothing.
Wisdom path was useful to Fang Yuan.
It was also useful to Fang Ming.
He needed deduction ability to digest Reckless Savage true meaning more efficiently, improve his Tyrannical killer moves, optimize his production lines, and plan future uses of Copy.
But he would not rush blindly.
Some opportunities rewarded greed.
Others punished it.
Dong Fang Chang Fan's inheritance belonged to the second kind unless handled carefully.
The discussion did not continue for long.
Hei Lou Lan had just ascended. Fairy Li Shan needed to bring her back to recover and stabilize her aperture. Tai Bai Yun Sheng needed to remain nearby in case anything went wrong. Fang Yuan also had his own matters.
Fang Ming waited until the others separated slightly.
Then he approached Hei Lou Lan alone.
Hei Lou Lan had been standing near a broken ice ridge, sensing the changes in her immortal body. When Fang Ming arrived, she looked at him.
"You need something?"
Fang Ming nodded. "During the chaos of Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, did you obtain Slave Gu?"
Hei Lou Lan's eyes moved slightly.
She did not answer immediately.
Fang Ming said calmly, "I do not mean an inheritance. I mean the one-time-use Slave Gu."
After a moment, Hei Lou Lan nodded. "I did obtain it."
"Good. I want to borrow it."
Hei Lou Lan looked at him directly. "Borrow?"
"I will not use it for now," Fang Ming said. "Give me one month. If I find a suitable use for it, I will return and trade properly. If I do not, I will return it untouched."
"What trade?"
"A permanent-use strength path Gu useful to you."
Hei Lou Lan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Slave Gu was precious, but it was a one-time-use Gu. Once used, it would be gone. A permanent-use strength path Gu was different. Especially now that she had ascended as a strength path Gu Immortal, such a trade could benefit her greatly.
"What kind of strength path Gu?"
"That depends on what I can arrange and what you need most. But it will not be inferior in practical value."
Hei Lou Lan looked at him silently.
If someone else had asked this, she would not have agreed so easily.
But Fang Ming had lent her Steel Body Strength Immortal Gu for her ascension.
He had trusted her with an Immortal Gu during the most dangerous stage of her life.
Now she had returned it.
This request was not simple, but it was not unreasonable.
More importantly, Fang Ming had already proven that his investments were not empty words.
Hei Lou Lan took out the Gu.
Slave Gu.
Its aura was special, carrying the sense of a one-time binding power. It was not something that could be used casually, but in the right situation, it could decide the fate of a target.
She handed it to Fang Ming.
"One month."
Fang Ming accepted it. "One month."
"If you use it, you owe me the trade."
"If I use it, I will bring you a permanent strength path Gu."
Hei Lou Lan nodded. "Then I will wait."
Fang Ming stored Slave Gu carefully.
This Gu might be very useful.
Or it might not.
That depended on whether his plan could find the right target within the month.
But for now, the piece was in his hand.
Behind them, Fairy Li Shan was helping Hei Lou Lan prepare to return. Fang Yuan and Tai Bai Yun Sheng were speaking quietly at the side.
The absolute ice battlefield, once filled with heavenly tribulation, earthly calamity, true meaning, and Gu Immortal battle, gradually returned to cold silence.
Fang Ming looked once more at Hei Lou Lan.
She was no longer mortal.
The Great Strength True Martial Physique had crossed into immortality.
Her blessed land was super grade.
Her hatred remained sharp.
Her future value had become real.
Steel Body Strength Gu had returned.
Slave Gu was now borrowed.
Dong Fang Chang Fan's inheritance had appeared on the horizon.
The game had not slowed after the ascension.
It had only widened.
Fang Ming turned and stepped into purple smoke.
The smoke gathered around him.
Two breaths later, he vanished from the absolute ice battlefield.